On 9 September 2022, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, took part in a conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA). In her remarks, the Parliamentary Secretary presented an outline of the development of Latvia’s development cooperation policy system and a future perspective in the context of the CFCA functioning as the national development cooperation agency since 1 January of the current year.
Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica highlighted the work accomplished by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and partners over the past years in the streamlining and growth of the development cooperation system: “Long-lasting efforts of the ministry and its partners have resulted in the increase of development cooperation funding, the formation of a multiannual planning system, and the launch of biannual grant projects. Latvia’s best practice and solutions are shared and transferred by public administration, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and the private sector.”
Several important and large-scale projects have been carried out; however, Latvia’s potential is considerably higher. “We have knowledge, experience and experts, who are highly valued and in demand in developing countries, while quite often the institutions, companies and organisations they represent cannot ensure compliance with the technical and financial criteria of large-scale projects. It is the need to facilitate a systemic involvement by Latvia in large-scale development cooperation projects that lies at the basis of a decision on the CFCA’s accreditation,” Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica pointed out.
The main task of the agency is to promote cooperation among the implementers of Latvia’s development cooperation projects and their participation in projects by the international assistance providers, especially, in mobilising the European Union’s external (i.e., development cooperation) funds. “The CFCA in its capacity of a development cooperation agency will enable experts from various fields and sectors to pool their resources. Our aim of establishing the agency was to strengthen cooperation and partnership not only between countries, but also between sectors, which is Latvia’s strength. As we give to others through development cooperation, we also reap from it – both literally and figuratively,” the Parliamentary Secretary said.
Background information
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites everyone who might be interested to contact the Ministry’s Development Cooperation Policy Division (AttistibasSadarbiba@mfa.gov.lv) for updates on the opportunities offered by development cooperation and grant project competitions implemented, while providing information on the areas and countries of their interest as well as notifying the CFCA should they wish to be included in a catalogue of Latvian expertise and get involved in large-scale support projects.
According to Latvia’s Development Cooperation Policy Plan for 2021-2023, the agency is to keep a centralised catalogue of Latvia’s expertise summarising the interests and capacity of the promoters of development cooperation projects, and to inform the public about calls for project proposals announced by the EU and international assistance donors in other countries, as well as providing support for legal entities in the development of applications or project proposals and submission thereof in line with the development cooperation policy objectives set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photo: Roberts Blaubuks